A participatory assessment of gender activities in raising the most dominant village poultry species in Bauchi State, Nigeria

An interactive semi-structured interview and sessions of participatory ranking exercises were conducted among three groups of poultry farmers from Gongoro, Jalam and Kutaru communities in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Following a general introduction, farmers were asked to list and rank by population the most common poultry species being raised in their respective communities. They also participated in listing and ranking the extent of gender involvement in raising the predominant poultry species identified in their respective communities. Village chicken was ranked as the predominant species reared in all three communities. Women were significantly more involved in some checklist activities in raising village chickens than men (Chi-square = 24.102; p-value <0.0001). The study highlights the possibility of using participatory approaches to identify the predominant poultry species farmers rear in their communities, to prioritize it in programs aimed at improving poultry health; to recognize and effectively utilize the roles played by men and women to promote village poultry farming.